Voluntary and Community Organisations: Grants

Lord Haskel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make an announcement about the Active Community grants to voluntary and community organisations for 2001-02.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My right honourable friend the Minister of State, Home Department, announced today that grants of over £18 million have been allocated to boost the work of 149 voluntary and community organisations across the country.
	For 2001-02 a total of £18,060,937 will be awarded to cover a wide range of volunteering and employee volunteering schemes, and community development projects. Forty-seven organisations will receive grants for the first time.
	The amount available for these grants has been increased by £8 million over the next three years, with organisations sharing an extra £1 million this year, a further £3 million in 2002-03 and an extra £4 million in 2003-04.
	A list of the successful applicants has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Zimbabwe: Arms Embargo

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are working to increase the effectiveness of the embargo on the export of British arms to Zimbabwe by encouraging other countries to join the embargo.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We have raised our concerns at the situation in Zimbabwe within the EU and without. Other countries are aware of the UK's arms embargo, as they are aware of how serious the situation in Zimbabwe has become.

Council of the European Union: Forthcoming Business

Lord Elder: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April; and what are the major European Union events for the period between 30th April and September 2001.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: See attached.
	To date we have received the detailed agendas for the following Council meetings in April:
	4-5--Transport and Telecommunications Council--Luxembourg
	1. Adoption of the provisional agenda
	2. Approbation of the list of "A" items
	Telecommunications
	3. Proposal for a Directive on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services
	--Political agreement
	4. Proposal for a Directive on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities
	--Political agreement
	5. Proposal for a Directive on the authorization of electronic communications networks and services
	--Political agreement
	6. Proposal for a Directive on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services
	--Progress report
	7. Proposal for a Regulation on the implementation of Internet Top Level Domain "EU"
	--Common orientation
	8. Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to further opening to competition of Community postal services
	--Information from the Presidency
	9. Commission Communication on the introduction of third generation mobile communication (3G) in the European Union: state of play and the way forward
	--Presentation by the Commission
	10. e Europe Action Plan 2002
	(a) Report
	--Information from the Commission
	(b) Network security
	--Information from the Presidency/Commission
	Horizontal Transport Issues
	11. (poss.) Commission communication on a revised strategy for the common transport policy ("White Paper")
	--Presentation by the Commission
	12. (poss.) Proposal for amending the decision 1692/96/EC on guidelines for Trans-European Networks for transport (general revision)
	--Presentation by the Commission
	13. Strategy for integrating environment and sustainable mobility into the transport policy (Cardiff/Helsinki follow-up)
	--Council resolution
	14. Galileo
	--Council resolution
	Air Transport
	15. Aviation and environment: ICAO regulations for gaseous and noise emissions
	--Common approach for the ICAO Assembly
	16. Aviation safety: Proposal for a Regulation establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation safety and setting up of a European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA)
	--Progress report and policy debate
	17. Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
	--Decision for conclusion of this Convention by the Community
	--Council conclusions on the ratification process of the Convention
	--Progress report on the draft regulation (amendment of Reg. 2027/97)
	Land Transport
	18. Proposal for a Regulation on action by member states concerning public service requirements and the award of public service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway
	--Progress report and policy debate
	19. Proposal for a Regulation on certain rules concerning the control of drivers engaged by road transport operators established in the EU when carrying out with Community vehicles intra-Community transport operations (third country drivers)
	--Common orientation
	20. Proposal for a Directive on a transparent system of harmonised rules for driving restrictions on heavy goods vehicles involved in international transport on designated roads (week-end bans)
	--Common orientation
	21. Proposal for amending Directive 91/671/EEC on compulsory use of safety belts, including compulsory use of type-approved child restraint systems
	--Common orientation
	22. Commission Recommendation on the maximum permitted blood alcohol level for vehicle drivers
	--Council conclusions
	23. Proposal for amending Directive 96/53/EC on weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles--15 metre buses
	--Common position
	Shipping
	24. Maritime safety--2nd package
	--Directive on the establishment of a Community system for the monitoring and control of and information on maritime traffic
	--Regulation concerning the creation of a fund for compensation in the case of oil pollution in European waters and the adoption of related measures
	--Regulation setting up a European agency for maritime safety
	--Policy debate
	Other business
	8-10--Brussels--General Affairs Council
	8-10--Ostersund--Agriculture Council (Informal)
	20-22--Malmo--ECOFIN
	24-25--Brussels--Agriculture Council
	25-26--Brussels--Fisheries Council
	26-28--Lund--Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council (Informal)
	No agendas for the above are available at present.
	The following are the principal events in the EU between 1 May and September 2001 (certain relevant events are also included: the list is based on the information available at the date of issue):
	
		
			 Date Location Event 
			 May 
			 5-6 Brussels Gymnich 
			 7 Brussels ECOFIN Council 
			 7 Brussels Employment and Social Council  (possible) 
			 14-15 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 14-15 Brussels Industry and Energy Council 
			 22-23 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 28-29 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council 
			 28 Brussels Education and Youth Council 
			 30 Brussels Development Council 
			 31 Brussels Health Council 
			 June 
			 5 Brussels ECOFIN Council 
			 5 Brussels Internal market/Consumer  Council 
			 7-8 Brussels Environment Council 
			 11-12 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 11 Brussels Employment/Social Affairs  Council 
			 15-16 Gothenburg European Council 
			 18 Brussels Fisheries Council (possible) 
			 19-20 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 19 Brussels ECOFIN Council (possible) 
			 21 Brussels Culture Council 
			 25-26 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 26 Brussels Research Council 
			 27-28 Brussels Transport/Telecommunications  Council 
			 July 
			 6-7 Brussels Informal Employment and Social  Affairs Council 
			 10 Brussels ECOFIN Council 
			 13-14 Brussels Regional Territories Council  (Informal)? 
			 16-17 Brussels General Affairs Council 
			 20 Brussels Budget Council 
			 23-24 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 August There are no Councils scheduled for August  September 
			 8-9 Brussels Gymnich 
			 14-16 Brussels Environment and Transport  Council (Informal) 
			 16-18 Brussels Agriculture (Ministerial Informal) 
			 22-23 Brussels ECOFIN (Informal) 
			 24-25 Brussels Agriculture Council 
			 27-28 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council

Visas: Correspondence

Lord Ewing of Kirkford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress had been made to clear the backlog of outstanding correspondence on visa matters.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Joint Entry Clearance Unit was successful in clearing all outstanding correspondence on 21 December 2000. I am pleased to inform the House that the level of outstanding correspondence remains at zero.

Iraq: Export of Controlled Goods

Lord Tomlinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any goods subject to strategic export controls have recently been approved for export to Iraq.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved licences to export 30 electronic exploders and four Hook and Line Kits, controlled under The Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended, to the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for use in a humanitarian mine clearance programme in Northern Iraq under the UN Oil for Food Programme. The export of these goods to Iraq has been approved by the UN Sanctions Committee.

Operation Granby: Vaccination Materials

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the vaccines given to members of HM Armed Forces prior to and during Operation Granby were developed on bovine cultures.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: UK Service Personnel received immunisations against the potential biological warfare agents plague and anthrax (with Pertussis as an adjuvant), and some public health immunisations in the build-up to, and during, the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. The Department of Health is responsible for issues connected with UK licensed public-health immunisations and they have undertaken to review the available information regarding the manufacture of the public health vaccines given to personnel at that time in parallel with an MoD review of the non-UK licensed vaccines. I will write to the noble Countess setting out the conclusions and such information as is available, and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	The manufacture of both the anthrax vaccine and the US-produced plague vaccine offered to personnel during the 1990-91 Gulf Conflict involved the use of materials of bovine origin. The manufacture of the anthrax vaccine complied with the UK regulations and guidance that applied at the time concerning the use of such materials in medicinal products.
	Further details on the vaccines administered under the anti-Biological Warfare immunisation programme were published in October 1997, in the paper Background to the use of medical countermeasures to protect British Forces during the Gulf War (Operation GRANBY), a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.